• The West Way: Kindness, Respect, Responsibilty 

     

     

    The West Way Journey 

    Vestavia Hills Elementary West (VHEW) has a long standing tradition of character development. Once a K-3 school and now a K-5 school, teachers, administrators and staff have always aspired to do what is best for each and every child. Contagious joy and genuine relationships permeate the halls. The West Way: Courtesy, Respect, and Responsibility was introduced over 15 years ago and was immediately embraced by all stakeholders. Teachers use these core values to discuss expectations for behavior and social interactions. The West Way is the Best Way became the motto and parents have adopted the vocabulary in the home setting. Our partnership with the Hope Academy deepened our understanding of character education and renewed our focus on building relationships to create a positive culture for all stakeholders. Our journey has been strengthened as we have reexamined our core values in collaboration with students, parents, and staff. Now, kindness has replaced courtesy in our updated touchstone.This initiative has given us a plan and the tools we need to meet the social and emotional needs of our students.